In analyses of land management practices, people often focus on what we see above the ground as a sign of the health of the land. However, as scientists are discovering, and as I am coming to understand more and more in my research, what is below the ground is often just as important.

Australia is known, and not unfairly so, for its harsh and unforgiving environment. Eighty percent of the land in Australia receives less than 600 millimeters of rainfall each year. How is climate change affecting this already dry and harsh land?